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Rural Hospitals Collaborate to Provide Critical MRI Services
9 Sep
Summary
- Mobile MRI unit visits rural North Dakota hospital weekly
- Rough Rider Network allows small hospitals to negotiate better prices
- Clinically integrated networks help rural hospitals avoid mergers
As of September 2025, rural hospitals in North Dakota are finding innovative ways to maintain local healthcare services. The Rough Rider Network, a collaborative group of 22 independent rural hospitals, has enabled Southwest Healthcare Services in Bowman to provide its 1,400 residents with access to a mobile MRI unit that visits the hospital every Wednesday.
Without this mobile unit, Bowman's residents would have to drive 40 minutes to reach an MRI machine, an expensive piece of equipment the small hospital could not afford on its own. By joining the Rough Rider Network, Southwest Healthcare and other rural facilities can leverage their combined patient rolls to negotiate better prices for shared resources, avoiding the need to sell out to larger health systems.
These clinically integrated networks are becoming increasingly popular among independent rural hospitals across the United States. By pooling resources and staff, the networks allow small facilities to maintain local autonomy while improving patient care and reducing costs. Supporters of the Rough Rider Network are now exploring whether they can utilize funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to further expand their collaborative efforts.
